False eyelashes can definitely up the drama quotient of your costume, especially if you’re going as Marilyn Monroe, a disco diva, a go go girl, or a Hollywood starlet.
But falsies can look really skanky if applied badly … trust me, I know. I went to a 70’s-themed Halloween party two years ago wearing a pair of our black/gold two-tone false eyelashes. They were a little crooked, and I look like a drunken hooker in all the photos. Not cute.
After that I searched around for some tips on applying lashes the way the red carpet folks do. Follow these steps to make your lashes look flirty and fluttery:
1. Trim the lashes to the right width for your eye. If you’re going for a natural look, you can also trim individual lashes shorter toward the inside near your nose and longer toward the outside, like your real lashes.
2. Apply eyeliner – it will help mask the line of the false eyelashes.
3. Spread a small amount of glue on the back of your hand, then run the thread of the eyelashes along it. It doesn’t take much glue, and the less you have the more natural it will look.
4. With tweezers holding the non-sticky part of the lashes, lift them to your eyelid. Press in place at the base of your natural lashes. Some makeup artists recommend pressing the lashes onto your actual lashes instead of onto your skin.
5. Hold the lashes in place with your fingers for at least 30 seconds to let the glue fully dry – otherwise when you take your fingers away, the lashes might stick to them and come away, too.
6. (Optional) While pressing a finger behind the false lashes, apply mascara to both natural and false eyelashes to help them blend together better.
7. After your event, store the lashes back in their container so they’ll hold their shape. Most of the time they can be worn again.
